Iran Accuses US Drones of 'Illegal and Provocative Acts' over Persian Gulf

Iran Accuses US Drones of 'Illegal and Provocative Acts' over Persian Gulf

by

Common Dreams staff

The Iranian government filed formal complaints with the United Nations on Friday, accusing the United States of violating its airspace repeatedly and using its fleet of Navy drones for 'illegal and provocative' acts along its border and over the Persian Gulf.

The complaints were submitted via letters delivered to UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon and the office of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York.

The message from Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, first obtained by the Associated Press, argues that the U.S. Navy has regularly conducted flights over Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.

The letter was sent to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N. Security Council. It details seven specific incidents in October and November during which American drones entered Iranian airspace, despite radio warnings.

Earlier this month, an Iranian jet shot at an American predator drone in the Persian Gulf. According to the Pentagon, the drone was performing "routine surveillance" over international waters but not ultimately hit.

In December of last year, a surveillance drone crashed in eastern Iran. Iranian officials said then that they were able to bring down the drone via a cyberattack, but according to CBS News, American officials have neither confirmed nor denied that claim.

In the letter to the U.N., Khazaee asks the U.N. to warn Americans ‘‘against the continuation of acts in violation of international law and of the adverse consequences of any provocative and dangerous acts for which the United States government would be held responsible.’’

The US maintains a keen interest in Iranian secrets due to the long-running rivalry for influence in the region between the two nations. Washington , along with its enduring ally Israel, claim that Tehran is trying to secretly build a nuclear weapon under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has steadfastly denied the accusations.

In a bid to stop enrichment of uranium by the Islamic Republic, the US and its allies have levied crippling economic sanctions against the country over the last year, damaging Iran’s energy exports. There were also speculations of a possible military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel.

Tehran threatened to use its navy to block the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial naval shipping route for oil, in response to such an attack. The US has already further built up its already considerable military strength in the region, saying it is prepared to counteract any Iranian blockade of the strait.

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